Donations To Food Banks

WFCF has a goal of distributing $80,000 of our farm fresh produce through food access efforts. We do this through donations to emergency food programs, operating our Waltham Fields Outreach Market, a farm-to-school program with the Waltham Public Schools, and a subsidized CSA share program. Donations to Emergency Food Programs

Charitable harvests are integral to the founding vision of Waltham Fields Community Farm. Since its germination in the fertile minds of an idealistic crew of gleaners in 1995, Waltham Fields Community Farm (WFCF) has distributed hundreds of thousands of pounds of organically grown produce to over 25 agencies within local communities. Our hunger relief efforts provide bushels of fresh produce to soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and nutrition education programs supplying healthy nourishment to people in need.

Often, WFCF vegetables are the only source of fresh produce supporting the nutritional needs of these programs. WFCF continually works with the programs we serve to tailor our crop plans to better serve the specific needs of participant populations.

WFCF's Mobile Outreach Market (MOM)

The Waltham Fields Mobile Outreach Market (MOM) is a once-a-week, subsidized market in Waltham, operating on Tuesday afternoons, July 17 -October 9, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm, at the Corner of Cherry and Crescent St. The Market is for low-income community members, including the clientele of several social service agencies, to whom we provide vouchers enabling free participation. Please read through the WIC Income Guidelines for more information on eligibility.

This program started as a pilot project in 2008 with the intention of making our organically grown produce more widely available to community members in need. At the Market, for just $5 (using cash, check or SNAP benefits), or in exchange for one of our vouchers acquired through our partner agencies, customers can pack up some of each vegetable we have that week (usually about 6-8 different types of produce), averaging to about $25-30 in value. We initiated the voucher program with a core group of agencies that are still participating today, including the Joseph Smith Community Health Center, Waltham Family School, and WATCH CDC, and we continue to add new agency partners and increase the number of voucher booklets distributed each year. The popularity of the market has grown steadily through the creation of the voucher program and publicity through local media channels; each week returning customers share their enthusiasm for, knowledge about and recipes for the fresh and flavorful produce we make available to them.

Farm-to-School Produce Distributions

In 2008, we formed a partnership with the Waltham Public Schools to distribute our farm fresh produce for use in the school meals program during the months of June, September, October, and November. Each month, we feature a different vegetable in conjunction with the Vegetable of the Month program created by the Food Service Department and Healthy Waltham. We work with the Food Service Director to pick appropriate types and quantities of vegetables to grow and are refining our plans each year. We make a programmatic connection to our farm-to-school efforts by coordinating a community-wide event at the farm, called Waltham Farm Day. The community looks forward to this free event each year, and we work closely with Healthy Waltham, the Waltham Public Schools, and the City of Waltham to bring Waltham families out to the farm and offer a variety of activities and experiences.

Subsidized CSA Shares

In 2009, we piloted our first subsidized CSA shares and are excited to be continuing and expanding the program. Even with our policy of letting CSA shareholders spread the payment of a share cost over 6 months, we recognize that the price is still too high for some households to afford and are pleased to now be able to offer half-price shares. These shares are largely funded by other CSA shareholders who generously purchase a Food For All Share, paying above the price of their own share cost in order to donate additional money toward half-price shares for others. To qualify for one of our subsidized CSA shares, participants must meet the federal income guidelines established for participation in the free/reduced school meals program - meaning they must be at 185% or less of the poverty line, which varies based on household size.